Boxster Battery

[lotusrichard]

Hi,

I've got a 2001 Boxster S which I've been using regularly but mainly only for short journeys. I think this and constant use of heating and stereo etc has taken it's toll on the battery because it sounds down on power when I start it now, so I need to charge it.

The manual states that you should remove the power cables from the battery before charging it.......is this really neccessary or is it likely to damage something on this type of car.

All the other cars I've had I have left the power cables on with no problems. On one ocassion I removed the power cables, when the battery was reconnected the ECU seemed to take about 24 hours to reset itself properly, making the car run (idle) differently.

I'm worried that on this car other things would be affected by temperary power loss eg alarm.

Any advice would appreciated.

[MogulBoy]

Go for a drive! That will charge it! However, if you are still on your original 2001 battery, I would suspect that it might be worth replacing it. Search on here for ideas as the OEM battery isn't the cheapest or the best. I changed mine recently (2002) and I went for the OEM battery as it was the easy option (car was in for a service) and it's noticeably better than immediately before...

[duckspeed8]

I would put a new battery on it and also invest in one of the little battery chargers/maintainers that you can get from OPC or other places.
Boxster could have a 70ah or a 80ah rated battery on it so be sure to let your dealer know when placing the order , both will fit though , just that the 80ah one is a little more money , 80ah is £158.00 inc vat for a OPC to supply only ( not fit ),
be aware though that their batteries are dry charged and require filling with the acid thats all in with the price, talk to the dealer nicely and they will probably fill it for you , give them a good bit of notice though , couple of hours i would suggest unless you are happy filling it yourself , but be very carefull , it's nasty stuff if spilt.

[duckspeed8]

I would put a new battery on it and also invest in one of the little battery chargers/maintainers that you can get from OPC or other places.
Boxster could have a 70ah or a 80ah rated battery on it so be sure to let your dealer know when placing the order , both will fit though , just that the 80ah one is a little more money , 80ah is £158.00 inc vat for a OPC to supply only ( not fit ),
be aware though that their batteries are dry charged and require filling with the acid thats all in with the price, talk to the dealer nicely and they will probably fill it for you , give them a good bit of notice though , couple of hours i would suggest unless you are happy filling it yourself , but be very carefull , it's nasty stuff if spilt.

[lotusrichard]

Thanks very much.....May go for a new battery but in the mean time I need to try and charge this one first.

Do you reccomend I remove the power cables off the battery during charging or is this not neccessary?

Will there be any problems if I do or dont?

[mollytherocker]

As Mogulboy says you dont need to charge it just go for a drive, your alternator will do it for you! 30 minutes should do it.

[Brett928S2]

lotusrichard said:

Thanks very much.....May go for a new battery but in the mean time I need to try and charge this one first.

Do you reccomend I remove the power cables off the battery during charging or is this not neccessary?

Will there be any problems if I do or dont?

Hi

The remove the cables or you will damage something is an old wifes tale, that started when dynamos were replaced by alternators...

Alternators have been protected from charging for over 30 years now...

And as the alternator is the only thing that charges the battery you will be fine charging it in situ...WITHOUT disconnecting the leads....in fact with modern memory chips in cars , disconnecting those leads may do more harm than good....

p.s The manual is wrong ! But Porsche do not have the greatest auto electricians in the world ,so I am not surprised lol

All the best Brett

Edited by Brett928S2 on Saturday 26th April 00:21

Edited by Brett928S2 on Saturday 26th April 00:21

[lotusrichard]

Thanks Guys!!!

[thegoose]

If you do buy a battery you need an 096. Just choose a brand/supplier/price you're happy with. A conditioner is a good idea too though.

[npe]

I've just put a Numax 096 on my 02 Boxster, it made a massive difference to the starting. I was fortunate to have access to another 096 and connected the connections to the spare while i fitted the other, hence retaining the radio codes etc.

[shred]

hi,
i've got a ctek 3600 which i use to top up my batteries on all my stuff. the only thing is on the boxster it never quite top's out and im told it's because of the ammount of electronic kit drawing power even when the car is locked.

i phoned my local opc and the service manager (great guy) told me to just go ahead and use the conditioner. anyway, i've never had a problem.

not sure if thats any help really?

cheers.

[porscheuro]

if you choose to put a battery on yourself make sure that before you disconnect it you have the ignition switched on so the alarm doesnt sound then remove battery and fit new and this will stop siren sounding, but also when battery re-attached leave ignition on for 1 min to initialize throttle

[lotusrichard]

Nice one guys!!

Porscheuro - will anything else on my 2001 Boxster S be affected by removing the battery. I'm a little bit worried that things will reset and cause me problems when I put the new battery on.

Also I measured the voltage on my battery before starting the engine, it read 12.1 volts and 14.25 volts when the engine was started.

My friends Nissan 200SX read 12.8 volts before starting the engine and 14.3 volts with the engine started

Is 12.1 volts low or is voltage not really relevent with a knackered battery?

Cheers

[whitmanthecat]

I find the Boxster drains power more than any other car I've had. Plus starting up a six cylinder engine does strain a battery (the reason BMW only fit the stop-start on the fours).

I also bought a Ctek - a 7000 instead of a 3600. The former has more bells and whistles, while the 3600 is adequate for most charging jobs. I believe the Porsche branded charger is a Ctek 3600, but with a cigar lighter adaptor instead of the croc clips/eyelets, and costs more too. If you do get the 7000, it has a feature where you can keep power to the car while changing the battery.

I don't think 12.1V is too low. 14.3 when running suggests the alternator is doing its job so long enough runs should be enough to recharge.

I would just get a decent charger to start with, saving the outlay on a battery until it's clear the old one's past its best. I keep the eyelets that came with the Ctek permanently connected to the Boxster battery, just leaving the 'Tamiya radio controlled car battery connector' emerging from the cover. Then its quite easy to connect the Ctek up. I could leave it on charge all the time while in the garage, but only do so some of the time, and have had no battery trouble since.

James

[j.d.clarke]

Changing Boxster battery (all models)

You will need to put the key in the ignition and turn to the SECOND position (all dash warning lights come on)to stop the alarm going off when you disconnect the battery (not the first position). Leave the key in the ignition while changing the battery.

You will also need the radio code.

You will also need to reset the throttle potentiometer by switching on the ignition (to second position) for at least one minute then switch off before starting the engine. - do not press throttle during the one minute wait.

Also the windows will need re-setting, just wind them all the way down (with the door closed) then all the way up, once they reach the stop press the up button again (repeat for each window).


Detailed battery changing instructions are available in the workshop manuals which can be downloaded for free (in pdf format) from http://www.cannell.co.uk/Manuals.htm